IMD issues cyclone alert for Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Bay of Bengal system builds

A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is set to intensify into a cyclonic storm by the morning of Monday, 26 October, heading towards the coasts of northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the low-pressure area developed at 5:30 am on Friday over the east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal, triggered by an upper-air cyclonic circulation. It is expected to concentrate into a depression by 24 October, strengthen into a deep depression by 25 October, and reach cyclonic storm strength over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Monday morning.

Should the system reach cyclone strength, it will receive the name Cyclone Arnab, a designation contributed by Bangladesh under the regional naming rota maintained by the IMD and the World Meteorological Organization.

Disaster machinery swings into action

State administrations and central monitoring agencies moved promptly to secure coastal regions ahead of the weather front. In Odisha, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari announced that the state government has already launched preventive preparations, ensuring district control rooms and field teams are placed on alert well before any potential impact.

In Andhra Pradesh, the State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) urged farmers and residents in vulnerable pockets to take early precautions. APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain said the state is likely to witness widespread rainfall and instructed fishermen to return to port immediately. The IMD advised all fishing boats currently at sea to dock by the morning of 24 October.

Early rain has already affected parts of southern Andhra Pradesh. Heavy downpours hit Nellore and Prakasam districts on Thursday, causing waterlogging in urban pockets. Station data showed Thottambedu in Tirupati district recording 40.2 mm and Rapur in Nellore logging 40 mm.

Rainfall timeline and intensity stages

The IMD warned that squally winds and light to moderate rain will affect coastal Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, the Andaman Islands, and Gangetic West Bengal between 23 and 25 October. Along the Andhra and Odisha coastlines, surface winds could gust up to 60 kmph from 27 October, strengthening as the system approaches.

Between 27 and 29 October, the IMD projects heavy to very heavy rainfall across northern Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha. The Cyclone Warning Centre in Visakhapatnam issued alerts for several districts, including Kakinada, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, and Alluri Sitharama Raju.

To gauge the storm's progression, meteorologists track surface winds and atmospheric pressure thresholds:

P.L.N. Murthy, head of the Cyclone Warning Centre in Visakhapatnam, noted that if the storm maintains its projected track, it could make landfall along the coast between Machilipatnam and Visakhapatnam, bringing very heavy downpours across the northern coastal belt.